Protests took place on Sunday at the province’s four university pediatric hospitals in opposition to Bill 2, which aims, among other things, to link doctors’ remuneration to performance indicators. Protesters believe the bill jeopardizes access to care for children and hinders research. Outside Sainte Justine Hospital in Montreal, pediatricians, specialists and children wore blue squares on their coats and flew balloons of the same colour as a symbol of support for the doctors’ struggle. Protests were also held in front of the Montreal Children’s Hospital, the Centre Mère-Enfant Soleil in Quebec City and the Fleurimont Hospital in Sherbrooke. “The vulnerability criteria in Bill 2 are completely inappropriate for children and pregnant women,” says pediatrician Marie-Joëlle Doré Bergeron. The law stipulates that children born healthy are automatically classified as “green”, which, according to the law, places them at the bottom of the doctors’ priority list. However, Doré Bergeron said that children are “by definition a vulnerable population” due to the developmental and growth delays they may experience. Added to this are mental health problems in adolescents, “such as anxiety, suicidal thoughts and eating disorders,” the doctor pointed out. Family doctors who do not comply with the order of priority established by the government risk financial penalties, says Doré Bergeron. Beyond health care, Bill 2 also threatens health research, according to pediatric immunologist and clinical researcher Hélène Decaluwe. “When I lead my research team, when I sit on national committees, when I present at conferences, I am not performing well in the eyes of the law,” she says. During the demonstration, Decaluwe recounted the case of a child with a rare disease who was able to be treated thanks to research conducted by Sainte-Justine Hospital. The researcher fears that similar cases will not be possible if medical efficiency focuses on the number of procedures performed by doctors, reducing the importance of research. The Ministry of Health and Social Services did not respond to interview requests from The Canadian Press. This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Nov. 16, 2025.
